AMD announces 45nm Opterons, and a new platform supporting a dozen cores

GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
edited May 2008 in Science & Tech
<div class='figure floatright'><img src="/draco/images/news/2008/05/amd45.jpg" alt="" />

<p class='credit'>Photo by AMD</p>

<p class='caption'>If you squint you can see the nanometers. 45 of them.</p></div>
<p>
AMD has announced new Opteron chips (codenamed <em>Shanghai</em>) based on a 45 nm process, and quad core chips should be available early next year. In the later half of 2009, six core chips will materialize. Both will land on Socket F; here's hoping that motherboard and chipset compatibility will be solid. No matter the core count, the shrunken process should yield better performance and efficiency.</p>
<p>Enjoy your current chip platforms while you can, because in 2010, AMD will switch to a completely new platform codenamed <em>Maranello </em>supporting new six core and <strong>twelve</strong> core chips. These will still be 45 nm chips, while Intel is expected to beat AMD to the 32 nm process sometime in late 2009. AMD is skipping over eight core designs entirely, which means Intel will probably have the largest core count with the Nehalem architecture for around a year.</p>

Comments

  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    Is AMD ever going to catch up again? Or did Intel learn its lesson from the Netburst fiasco and they'll never again leave the door open?
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    AMD is doomed through 2010, if Intel delivers, and given that there are Nehalems already floating around, I think Intel is delivering.
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited May 2008
    Thrax wrote:
    AMD is doomed through 2010, if Intel delivers, and given that there are Nehalems already floating around, I think Intel is delivering.

    That's "if". Intel may re-invent Netbust with a new architecture too.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    Early sample Nehalems are benchmarking 20-35% faster than today's Penryns. Not likely.
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited May 2008
    Sorry if that sounds all too familiar- like the 40% better than Conroe AMD's Barcelona was supposed to be.

    I'll believe it when the benchmarks are done with CPUs that hit the street.
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